Reviews by rangerred:

Pours an opaque very dark brown with a billowy, fluffy dark tan head. I'm surprised at how strong and long lasting the head is and it is very impressive for this strong of a beer.

Aroma is a great mixture of pine tar, earth and roasted, almost burnt malt. Slight dark chocolate and coffee notes underneath.

The flavor is even better than the aroma. Huge shot of pine and earth, almost like being in a pine forest. Just wet pine needles everywhere. This is complimented by a large amount of roasted malt with almost a charred character. The coffee and chocolate are much more subdued here. A touch of wet grass towards the finish with a high bitterness throughout.

Overall, I love this style and this is probably the best of the style I have had. Lagunitas never seems to disappoint and this is no exception. An excellent beer.

More User Reviews:

This is delicious. I'm not incredibly familiar with black ales, but if this is any testament to what they can bring taste wise, than I will have to begin going on the hunt for more of them. Poured into a snifter that had been chilled. Bottled on 2015/01/21

L - Dark, jet black. A solid 2.5 finger head that is to color of milk chocolate, subsides gradually and the lacing is covering the entire glass. The big bubbles that reside on the middle-outside collect while tiny foam compiles towars the center. Interesting

S - The smell is so fresh, so clean. Almost like a smokey IPA with bits of bacon and firewood. This is basically the smell that would blend in with clothes that you have worn after a camping trip, mixed with fresh hops. Delicious.

T - Wow. Not what I expected at all. With this kind of color paired with the smell, it's like a smokey IPA that has a burnt taste. The burnt is good though, delicious in it's own unique way. Very unique.

F - Carbonated, but collects on the back of the tongue desiring more to wash it down. I enjoyed it.

O - I will absolutely pick up another 6er for $10.99 and look forward to the next time this is released!

Taste: Rich and decadent melding of roasty malts and twangy bittering hops. The pair duke it out on the palate, with neither coming out ahead. Operative word here is balanced. Tons of flavor from both sides, with chocolatey malt goodness mixing it up with lovely hoppiness. This heavy brew (at 7.9%) is so easy to drink, I could easily enjoy another right away. Delicious? You bet. A real winner here from Lagunitas.

Nose is very strong, aromates the room, yes that's a new word... big hops, not as spicy piney as I expected though, more floral and fruity, some orange peel citrus, little tangerine even, mild earthy piney notes that are more background, and touches of a tropical fruit note. Then into dark malts, a little roast and cocoa, fluffy nougat, little caramel, some nice candy bar notes, and a little chocolate covered orange. The aromas clash a bit but blend better than I expected for this style. Just a touch of booze.

Taste starts with creamy malts, rich dark malts that quickly flash into booze, strong alcoholic and slight phenolic booze, much stronger than I expected. getting through that I get into hops again, lots of floral grassy hops out front, but then into a big bitter pithy rindy, a little citrus note but big spicy bitterness like I bit into orange rind covered in spicy hop pellets. Super bitterness cuts in, astringent and mouth numbing bitterness, I guess which is why I should fear the dark? The smooth creamy malts come back with a creamy and fluffy nougat, a little cocoa and roast, bitter acrid roast with the super bitter astringent hops bring this no-mans-land feel in my mouth. Finish brings more orange, big orange peel and zest, with some phenolic booze again, quite bitter but doesn't smash the mouth with bitterness as I expected, it's actually a bit less bitter than the back end of the taste, and a little sticky dark malt lingering.

Mouth is a bit thin feeling despite a bit creamy and fluffy, it's weird, although quite a bit of carbonation, perhaps too much it's a bit distracting, and phenolic warming booze.

Overall mixed bag and kinda meh, hard to drink this for sure, between the huge bitterness of the astringent rindy hops and the acrid roasted malt (which isn't very strong but it's there), and the phenolic booze kick in the pants, and the thin feel, those unhappy flavors way outnumber the decent ones. Nose was pretty nice though.

A: [3.00] Dark color (like Coke when poured). Also pours a head similar to Coke. Large bubbles in the 2+ finger head. The head is khaki colored. The head recedes slowly leaving patchy lacing. The bottle has a born on date (Julian date = May 14)

T: [3.75] Slightly bitter on the front. Moves through some tropical flavors and sweetness and finishes with a sweet coffee taste.

M: [3.25] Slightly dry and tight. There is no biting in the carbonation it is the right level.

O: [3.50] This is a 8.2% beer but there is no taste or sense of alcohol. The 65 IBUs gives a little bitter on the tip of the tongue - but doesn't make the beer harsh. The smell and taste are nice. This is not just a dark colored IPA. There are some stout-esque characters on the finish like the hint of sweet coffee.

Hop flavors pronounced up front followed by roasted malt and subtle smoke. Slight bitterness on finish. The flavors really pop as is it warms!

Overall a great representation of style. Hops and roasted malt that get better with each sip. The smokiness sets it apart from other black IPAs, but I think it gets in the way of the great hops and roasted malt. Still a great beer and worth enjoying!

Served in taster and later from growler into mug. 8.2% ABV; 62 IBUIt pours dark with tame head - not black as a stout or porter but not a brown ale either. Looks ah-ight.The smell is incredible with burnt pineapple, over-ripe mango, and cotton candy. I could inhale this all day er, night. Ends with a little biscuity whiff.

The taste is sweet then dry then bitter with lingering spiciness and tongue tingling.

You might not guess its a black IPA from the taste ifyou didn't see it first - but then at the end there is a bit of a nice cocoa malt flavor at the end.

Its very smooth with small bubbles mingling with the bitter malty spiciness.

Pours into an imperial pint glass a deep cola color with a half finger beige head that leaves a nice full ring of lace as it settles into a frothy mass.Some pine resin and earthiness in the nose,not much sweetness to be had.Pretty dry on the palate with mild roast and earthy with some pine and grapefruit hops lingering in the finish,I like the dryness.A good example of the style not uber hopped but hopped enough.Iam still warming up to the style,I like robust porters and I love IPA's but still have not found an ABA that I go crazy for ...yet.